Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in China
China: Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP was 0.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in China, 1982–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (Balance of Payments), UNCTAD, and national sources, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in China stood at 0.8%.
That represents a change of down 21.4% on the previous year and down 47.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in China peaked at 1.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1982.
That places China 60th out of 189 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP in China, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 0.0% | — |
| 1983 | 0.0% | +87.9% |
| 1984 | 0.1% | +27.9% |
| 1985 | 0.2% | +294.3% |
| 1986 | 0.1% | -26.4% |
| 1987 | 0.2% | +57.9% |
| 1988 | 0.3% | +15.2% |
| 1989 | 0.2% | -17.6% |
| 1990 | 0.2% | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 0.2% | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | +293.1% |
| 1993 | 1.0% | +5.6% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | -64.2% |
| 1995 | 0.3% | -23.2% |
| 1996 | 0.2% | -10.2% |
| 1997 | 0.4% | +59.8% |
| 1998 | 0.4% | +12.2% |
| 1999 | 0.4% | -16.2% |
| 2000 | 0.4% | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 0.7% | +89.9% |
| 2002 | 0.4% | -41.1% |
| 2003 | 0.5% | +19.1% |
| 2004 | 0.4% | -20.0% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | +47.4% |
| 2006 | 0.9% | +44.7% |
| 2007 | 0.5% | -44.5% |
| 2008 | 1.2% | +155.4% |
| 2009 | 0.8% | -30.4% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | +10.7% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | -32.6% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | +18.7% |
| 2013 | 0.7% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.2% | +54.0% |
| 2015 | 1.5% | +34.0% |
| 2016 | 1.9% | +22.2% |
| 2017 | 1.1% | -41.6% |
| 2018 | 1.0% | -8.3% |
| 2019 | 0.9% | -7.0% |
| 2020 | 1.0% | +9.0% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | +16.7% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | +7.7% |
| 2024 | 1.0% | -16.9% |
| 2025 | 0.8% | -21.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 8 |
| 1990s | 0.4% | 0.2% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 0.6% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 57 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.8% compare
- 58 Montenegro 0.8% compare
- 59 Poland 0.8% compare
- 61 Cape Verde 0.8% compare
- 62 Uruguay 0.8% compare
- 63 Guatemala 0.8% compare
More economy & growth data for China
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.46 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.31 Percent per annum (2029)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 2.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.3564 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 4,941 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 1.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 2.56 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 35,522 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 4.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.3727 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in China?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp in China was 0.8% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (Balance of Payments), UNCTAD, and national sources, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1982.
- How does China rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp?
- China ranks 60th out of 189 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of gdp rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (Balance of Payments), UNCTAD, and national sources, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net outflows as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Net outflows of foreign direct investment from the reporting economy to the rest of the world.